Car-seal



H. L. MARTIN AND W. C. WILLIS.

CAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.9, 1921.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

1b 13 ficz/" L. Mari/i0 6214 C. 14 27/33 I INVENTORS ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. MARTIN AND WILLIAM C. WILLIS, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE;

CAR-SEAL.

Application filed March 9, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY L. MARTIN and WILLIAM C.- WILLIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to improvements in car seals and has for an important object thereof the provision of a car seal which when once applied will give evidence of any tampering therewith.

it further object is to provide a device of this character wherein the locking parts are completely concealed within a cylinder and the loop portion of the seal or that portion which passes through the staples to secure together two separable members, forms a shoulder holding one end of, the cylinder closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily assembled and which may be cheaply produced.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent throughout the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration we have shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a car door secured in locked position by the use of our seal;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the seal;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken at right anglesto the views shown in Figs. 2 and 32nd showing the position of the locking parts upon initial insertion of the end of the sealing strip;

Fig. 5- isfa similar view showing the position assumed. by the locking parts upon further insertion .of the sealing strip; r

F g 7. a com in ipe p c o th locking. arts removed and of the inserted end of the sealing strip;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

Serial No. 451,011.

11. The opposite end of the cylinder isprovided with a continuation forming a scaling strip 12 disposed at one side of the cylinder and with a plurality of foldable flaps 13 adapted to close this end of the cylinder. The closed end 11 of the, cylinder has an opening 1 1 formed therein and each of the flaps 13 has formed therein an opening, these openings alining when the flaps are in the folded position.

The numeral 16 indicates a guide member substantially U-shaped in cross section and notched at its end to form the reduced extensions 17 which extend through the opening of the end 11 and of the flaps 13 respectively. Adjacent that end of the guide member 16 which in the completed seal is disposed nearest the closed end 11 of the cylinder 10, the guide member 16'has a slot 18 formed through the walls thereof and extending transversely of the guide member, this slot being provided at its inner extremity with a longitudinal extension 19. At a point spaced from the forward end of the extension 19 of the slot 18, the guide member 16 has formed through the walls thereof an opening 20, the purpose of which will presently appear.

The numeral 21 designates a' supporting member which straddles the U-shaped guide member 16 and embodies portion 21 e ngaging the inner walls of the casing at spaced points to hold the guide member in position while the flaps 13 are folded upon the reduced extension 17 thereof. The numeral 23 designates a split ring of greater diameter than the distance from the opening 20 in the guide member 16 to the adjacent end of the extension 18 of the slot 19, so that the ring when engaged in the slot 19 will engage the side walls of the guide member at a point adjacent the opening 20. The outer or free end ofithe: sealing strip. 12 is reduced as 'at 24, to form a. sh u d and th s re u d. end of the 45 tampering therewith, and by reason of the cent end of the guide member 16 projects through the openings thereof. The reduced end 24 of the sealing strip 12 is then inserted between the spaced walls of the extension as suggested in Fig. 4, and as it moves through the guidemember it comes into engagement with the ring 28, shifting the same longitudinally of the extension 19 of the slot 18. The opening 26 of the extension 24 of the sealing strip comes into alinem'ent with the openings '20 at the same time that the ends of the split ring come into alinement with this opening, with the result that the split ring closes not only through the guide 16 but through the sealing strip 12,'preventing withdrawal thereof. At this time the shoulder 25 of the sealing strip will be in engage ment with the outer face of theoutermost flap 13, eflectually preventing outward movement of the flaps to afford access to the interior of the cylinder.

Since the innermost flap bears against the guide 16, it will be seen that it will be impossible to shift the flaps 13 to open the seal as'the ring is solidly engaged through the sealing strip it will be impossible to withdraw the same without considerably mutilating the seal.

From the foregoing it is believed to be obvious that we have constructed a car seal which is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the fact that the construction of the same effectively prevents undetected fact that the same may be readily and cheaply constructed, and it will furthermore be obvious that the construction as herein an opening formed therein, a guide member disposed within the casing, having a portion extending through the opening of the foldable closure and embodying a shoulder engaging the inner face of the foldable 010- sure to prevent inward movement thereof, the portion of said guide extending through the opening of the foldable closure forming a guide whereby the free end of the sealing strip may be introduced to the casing, and

means within the casing disposed in the path of the sealing strip adaptedwhen shifted to lock said sealing strip against withdrawal from said casing, said sealing strip embodying a shoulder engaging the outer face of the foldable closure to prevent outward movement thereof.

2. In a car seal, a casing having one end closed, a sealing strip secured to the casing at the open end thereof, a foldable closure flap for the open end of the casing having an opening formed therein, a guide member disposed within the casing having a portion extending through the opening of the foldable closure and forming a guide whereby the sealingstrip may be introduced to the casing through the closure, said guide member having a longitudinally extending slot formed therein, a split ring extending through said slot and engaging the side walls of the guide, said guide having openings formed through saidside walls adjacent the points of engagement of the ends of the split ring therewith, said sealing strip having an opening formed therein adjacent the free end thereof'and adapted to aline with the openingsformed in the side wall of the guide when the strip is fully inserted, said strip during its insertion engaging said ring and shifting the sameto aline the ends thereof with the openings in the side walls of the guide.

3. In a car seal, a' casing having one end closed and provided at the open end thereof with an integral extension forming a sealing strip, a foldable closure flap for the open end of the casing having an opening formed therein, a guide member disposed within the casing and embodying a portion extending through the opening of the foldable closure and forming a guide whereby the free end of the sealing strip may be introduced to the casing, means within the casing disposed in the path of the sealing strip adapted when shifted to lock said sealing strip against withdrawal from said casing, and I means carried by said sealing strip preventing opening of the foldable closure when the free end of the sealing strip is locked in the casing.

4. In a car seal, a casing having one end closed, a seallng strlp-secured to the casing able closureflaps for the open end of the casing each having an opening formed therein, a guide member disposed within the casing, having a portion extending through'the openings of the foldable closure flaps and embodying a shoulder engaging the inner face of the innermost :foldable at the open end thereof, a plurality of foldclosure to prevent inward movement thereof, the portion of said guide extending through the opening of the foldable closure forming a guide whereby the free end of the sealing strip may be introduced to the casing, and means within the casing disposed in the path of the sealing strip adapted when shifted to lock said sealing strip to said guide member, said sealing strip embodying a shoulder engaging the outer face 10 of the outermost foldable closure to prevent outward movement thereof.

HARRY L. MARTIN. WILLIAM G. WILLIS. 

